1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to text messaging via mobile telephone communications and in particular to text messaging utilizing Subscriber Identity Module, Global System for Mobile communications and Short Message Service. More particularly, the present invention relates to associating specific recorded text messages with selected recorded audio transmissions to a selected mobile unit (handset) within a mobile telephone communications system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Global System for Mobile Communications (xe2x80x9cGSMxe2x80x9d) was originally designed as a digital cellular network standard to unify many incompatible analog systems in use in Europe. GSM standards are a subset of Integrated Services Data Network (xe2x80x9cISDNxe2x80x9d) which support speech, data and Group 3 facsimile standard. The standard provides for cell broadcast, where messages may be broadcast to subscribers in specific cells within the network and Short Message Service (xe2x80x9cISMSxe2x80x9d) which allows subscribers to send and receive alphanumeric messages.
GSM architecture may be divided into three parts: a Mobile Station, a Base Station Subsystem (xe2x80x9cBSSxe2x80x9d) and a Network Switching Subsystem (xe2x80x9cNSSxe2x80x9d). Mobile station is the mobile unit or handset utilized by the subscriber to make wireless calls and contains a removable Subscriber Identity Module (xe2x80x9cSIMxe2x80x9d), a xe2x80x9csmart cardxe2x80x9d (a small self-contained computer with its own CPU and memory) containing all data and pertinent information concerning the subscriber.
BSS comprises a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and a Base Station Controller (xe2x80x9cBSCxe2x80x9d). BTS helps define a cell and handles radio interface protocols with a mobile station. BSC manages interface channels as well as handovers (maintaining contact with network as a subscriber travels from cell to cell within the network). BSS interfaces with a Network Subsystem comprising a Mobile Switching Center (xe2x80x9cMSCxe2x80x9d), Equipment Identity register (xe2x80x9cEIRxe2x80x9d), Home Location Register (xe2x80x9cHLRxe2x80x9d), Visitor Location Register (xe2x80x9cVLRxe2x80x9d) and Authentication Center (xe2x80x9cACxe2x80x9d).
The Network Switching Subsystem (NSS) is anchored by the MSC. The MSC acts like a switching node of the Public Switched Telephone Network (xe2x80x9cPSTNxe2x80x9d) or ISDN and functions to handle a subscriber by authentication, location updating, MSC handovers and call routing. The MSC, along with multiple intelligent databases, forms the network subsystem and provides connection with public networks.
Intelligent databases, contained within the NSS, are stored in registers and contain information regarding various aspects of the relation of the subscriber and the cellular network. One such database, the Home Location Register (xe2x80x9cHLRxe2x80x9d), contains administrative information, including identity and location of the subscriber""s handset within the network. Another database, Visitor Location Register (xe2x80x9cVLRxe2x80x9d), contains information concerning a mobile unit detected in a cell that is home registered in another HLR. Information is retrieved from the SIM in the visitor""s mobile unit and the subscriber""s profile is downloaded to the VLR from the subscriber""s home location HLR and retained during the time the visitor remains in the MSC""s area. Also contained within the NSS is a databasexe2x80x94Equipment Identity Registerxe2x80x94containing a list of all valid mobile handsets on the network and a databasexe2x80x94Authentication Center containing a secret key in each subscriber""s SIM, used for authentication and encrypting on the radio channel.
Communication with the databases and BSS, MSC and Short Message Service Center (xe2x80x9cSMSCxe2x80x9d) are supported by a protocol described by GSM specificationsxe2x80x94Mobility Application Part (xe2x80x9cMAPxe2x80x9d). SMSC is the GSM network node responsible for routing short messages that may utilize a protocol, Short Message Peer-to-Peer (xe2x80x9cSMPPxe2x80x9d), through the SMSC to subscribers.
Intelligent Networking (xe2x80x9cINxe2x80x9d) provides service applications for wireless communications. IN is an architecture for telephony networks that employs a Service Control Point (xe2x80x9cSCPxe2x80x9d) and Intelligent Peripherals (xe2x80x9cIPxe2x80x9d) to control handling of calls at a telephony switch. An IP provides voice resources to a SCP and aids in executing subscriber services by playing announcements to a subscriber and collecting digits entered from a subscriber""s handset. SCP executes subscriber services that can control certain functions of the MSC, IP and SMSC.
Among the various service applications available is a service that enables a business user to play a promotional announcement as a subscriber initiates a call. The business user provides an option for the subscriber to listen to the announcement and receive a portion of the initiated call for free, because the business user sponsors a portion of the call. The listener has the option of listening, aborting or by-passing the announcement by pressing a designated key. A term for this service is xe2x80x9cSponsored Call.xe2x80x9d Sponsored Call is a service supported by Customized Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (xe2x80x9cCAMELxe2x80x9d). CAMEL, covered in GSM standard 09.78 (version 5.3.0, 1998-01) enhances GSM to provide Intelligent Network services.
IN expands service options of cellular communication and Sponsored Call is a potentially profitable option. A sponsored call may be a personal call, to any party, by the subscriber, unrelated to an advertisement. However, the advertisement is an audio message and if the subscriber wants to take advantage of the product or service offered by the advertising sponsor, the subscriber must remember the specifics of the offer during the sponsored phone call which follows the advertisement. A long phone call by the subscriber would increase the probability that the subscriber would forget important details of the advertisement.
It would be desirable therefore, to provide a method and apparatus for text messaging, utilizing Subscriber Identity Module, Global System for Mobile communications and Short Message Service that would enhance and supplement recorded audio transmissions. It would further be desirable to provide specific recorded text messages to associate with selected recorded audio transmissions to a selected mobile unit (handset) within a mobile telephone communications system to insure the subscriber retains details of an audio transmission.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for sending and receiving text messages within a cellular communications network utilizing Subscriber Identity Module, Global System for Mobile communications and Short Message Service to enhance and supplement audio transmissions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for associating a text message with an audio message.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for delivering an audio message and an associated text message simultaneously to a subscriber""s handset.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A combination of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) capabilities including Short Message Service (SMS), Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) and Customized Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) allows an advertiser to pay a portion of the airtime cost of a call originated by a mobile subscriber after that subscriber has listened to a recorded advertisement. The combination delivers a text message that associates with a recorded audio advertisement. The text message, which may be referred to later, is stored by the subscriber""s handset and may be a transcript of the audio advertisement, provide additional details of the audio advertisement or it may contain an electronic coupon associated with the advertisement.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.